Somalia country plan consultation

Questions that we would like your views on

1. Does international assistance help or hinder countries in conflict (like Somalia) to reach reconciliation or stability? How can any negative effects be overcome?

2. Somaliland receives a significant part of DFID’s Somali development funds (around 50%). Is this balance correct, given the likely competing demands from South/Central Somalia and Puntland?

3. What sectors within the EU + Norway Country Strategy Paper (see background) should DFID focus on, or give more priority to (taking into account our current sectors)?

4. Should DFID take into account gender, clan, cultural and religious issues when implementing programmes; and if so, how?

5. What can DFID do to help bring about a genuine reconciliation between different Somali groups (e.g. opposition groups / factions, the TFG and Somaliland)?

6. Given the lack of security and effective government, is DFID’s current focus on emergency humanitarian support and development assistance right?

7. Should DFID focus its support ‘top-down’ on assisting the Transitional Federal Institutions and the Somaliland and Puntland authorities to function, or put more focus ‘bottom-up’ on supporting communities in their decision making and designing and implementing their plans?